BBC - Religions - Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths The Four Noble Truths Last updated 2009-11-17 This article examines the Four Noble Truths, four principles which contain the essence of the Buddha's teachings. On this page The Four Noble Truths Statue of Buddha, 1st-2nd century CE, Afghanistan © "I teach suffering, its origin, cessation and path. That's all I teach", declared the Buddha 2500 years ago. The Four Noble Truths contain the essence of the Buddha's teachings. It was these four principles that the Buddha came to understand during his meditation under the bodhi tree. The truth of suffering (Dukkha) The truth of the origin of suffering (Samudāya) The truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha) The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga) The Buddha is often compared to a physician. In the first two Noble Truths he diagnosed the problem (suffering) and identified its cause. The third Noble Truth is the realisation that there is a cure.

The fourth Noble Truth, in which the Buddha set out the Eightfold Path, is the prescription, the way to achieve a release from suffering. The First Noble Truth Suffering (Dukkha) Suffering comes in many forms. Three obvious kinds of suffering correspond to the first three sights the Buddha saw on his first journey outside his palace: old age, sickness and death. But according to the Buddha, the problem of suffering goes much deeper. Life is not ideal: it frequently fails to live up to our expectations. Human beings are subject to desires and cravings, but even when we are able to satisfy these desires, the satisfaction is only temporary. Pleasure does not last; or if it does, it becomes monotonous. Even when we are not suffering from outward causes like illness or bereavement, we are unfulfilled, unsatisfied. This is the truth of suffering. Some people who encounter this teaching may find it pessimistic. Buddhists find it neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but realistic. Fortunately the Buddha's teachings do not end with suffering; rather, they go on to tell us what we can do about it and how to end it.

In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions The Second Noble Truth Origin of suffering (Samudāya) Our day-to-day troubles may seem to have easily identifiable causes: thirst, pain from an injury, sadness from the loss of a loved one. In the second of his Noble Truths, though, the Buddha claimed to have found the cause of all suffering - and it is much more deeply rooted than our immediate worries. The Buddha taught that the root of all suffering is desire, tanhā. This comes in three forms, which he described as the Three Roots of Evil, or the Three Fires, or the Three Poisons. The Three Fires of hate, greed and ignorance, shown in a circle, each reinforcing the others. Photo: Falk Kienas © The three roots of evil These are the three ultimate causes of suffering: Greed and desire, represented in art by a rooster Ignorance or delusion, represented by a pig Hatred and destructive urges, represented by a snake Language note: Tanhā is a term in Pali, the language of the Buddhist scriptures, that specifically means craving or misplaced desire.

Buddhists recognise that there can be positive desires, such as desire for enlightenment and good wishes for others. A neutral term for such desires is chanda. The Fire Sermon The Buddha taught more about suffering in the Fire Sermon, delivered to a thousand bhikkus (Buddhist monks). Bhikkhus, all is burning. And what is the all that is burning? The eye is burning, forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning, also whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion. I say it is burning with birth, aging and death, with sorrows, with lamentations, with pains, with griefs, with despairs. The Fire Sermon (SN 35:28), translation by N̄anamoli Thera.

© 1981 Buddhist Publication Society, used with permission The Buddha went on to say the same of the other four senses, and the mind, showing that attachment to positive, negative and neutral sensations and thoughts is the cause of suffering. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions The Third Noble Truth Cessation of suffering (Nirodha) The Buddha taught that the way to extinguish desire, which causes suffering, is to liberate oneself from attachment. This is the third Noble Truth - the possibility of liberation. The Buddha was a living example that this is possible in a human lifetime. Bhikkhus, when a noble follower who has heard (the truth) sees thus, he finds estrangement in the eye, finds estrangement in forms, finds estrangement in eye-consciousness, finds estrangement in eye-contact, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful- nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact for its indispensable condition, in that too he finds estrangement. The Fire Sermon (SN 35:28), translation by N̄anamoli Thera.

© 1981 Buddhist Publication Society, used with permission "Estrangement" here means disenchantment: a Buddhist aims to know sense conditions clearly as they are without becoming enchanted or misled by them. Buddha. Photo: Paul Boulding © Nirvana Nirvana means extinguishing. Attaining nirvana - reaching enlightenment - means extinguishing the three fires of greed, delusion and hatred. Someone who reaches nirvana does not immediately disappear to a heavenly realm. Nirvana is better understood as a state of mind that humans can reach. It is a state of profound spiritual joy, without negative emotions and fears. Someone who has attained enlightenment is filled with compassion for all living things. When he finds estrangement, passion fades out. With the fading of passion, he is liberated. When liberated, there is knowledge that he is liberated. He understands: 'Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived out, what can be done is done, of this there is no more beyond.' The Fire Sermon (SN 35:28), translation by N̄anamoli Thera.

© 1981 Buddhist Publication Society, used with permission After death an enlightened person is liberated from the cycle of rebirth, but Buddhism gives no definite answers as to what happens next. The Buddha discouraged his followers from asking too many questions about nirvana. He wanted them to concentrate on the task at hand, which was freeing themselves from the cycle of suffering. Asking questions is like quibbling with the doctor who is trying to save your life. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions The Fourth Noble Truth Path to the cessation of suffering (Magga) The final Noble Truth is the Buddha's prescription for the end of suffering. This is a set of principles called the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path is also called the Middle Way: it avoids both indulgence and severe asceticism, neither of which the Buddha had found helpful in his search for enlightenment. The wheel of the Dharma, the symbol of the Eightfold Path © The eight divisions The eight stages are not to be taken in order, but rather support and reinforce each other: Right Understanding - Sammā ditthi Accepting Buddhist teachings.

(The Buddha never intended his followers to believe his teachings blindly, but to practise them and judge for themselves whether they were true.) Right Intention - Sammā san̄kappa A commitment to cultivate the right attitudes. Right Speech - Sammā vācā Speaking truthfully, avoiding slander, gossip and abusive speech. Right Action - Sammā kammanta Behaving peacefully and harmoniously; refraining from stealing, killing and overindulgence in sensual pleasure. Right Livelihood - Sammā ājīva Avoiding making a living in ways that cause harm, such as exploiting people or killing animals, or trading in intoxicants or weapons. Right Effort - Sammā vāyāma Cultivating positive states of mind; freeing oneself from evil and unwholesome states and preventing them arising in future. Right Mindfulness - Sammā sati The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism By Barbara O'Brien Updated October 04, 2016. The Buddha's first sermon after his Enlightenment centered on the Four Noble Truths, which are the foundation of Buddhism.

The truths are: The truth of suffering (dukkha) The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya) The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha) The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga) Let's look at one truth at a time. The Truth of Suffering The First Noble Truth often is translated as "Life is suffering." Many people new to Buddhism tune out as soon as they hear this. But the Pali word dukkha also refers to anything that is temporary, conditional, or compounded of other things. Even something precious and enjoyable is dukkha, because it will end. Related to the nature of life is the nature of self. Are we not also temporary, conditional and compounded of many parts? We can understand that life is impermanent but are we, also, impermanent? The Buddha taught that before we can understand life and death we must understand the self. Read More: What the Buddha Meant by "Suffering" The Truth of the Cause of Suffering The Second Noble Truth teaches that the cause of suffering is craving or thirst (tanha). We continually search for something outside ourselves to make us happy.

But no matter how successful we are, we never remain satisfied. The Buddha taught that this thirst grows from ignorance of the self. We go through life grabbing one thing after another to get a sense of security about ourselves. We attach not only to physical things, but also to ideas and opinions about ourselves and the world around us. Then we grow frustrated when the world doesn't behave the way we think it should and our lives don't conform to our expectations. The Buddha's teachings on karma and rebirth are closely related to the Second Noble Truth. Read More: Karma and Rebirth The Truth of the End of Suffering The Buddha's teachings on the Four Noble Truths are sometimes compared to a physician diagnosing an illness and prescribing a treatment. The first truth tells us what the illness is, and the second truth tells us what causes the illness. The Third Noble Truth holds out hope for a cure. The Buddha taught that through diligent practice, we can put an end to craving. Ending the hamster-wheel chase after satisfaction is enlightenment (bodhi, "awakened"). The enlightened being exists in a state called Nirvana.

Read More: Enlightenment and Nirvana The Truth of the Path That Frees Us From Suffering In the Fourth Noble Truth , the Buddha as physician prescribes the treatment for our illness: The Eightfold Path. Unlike in many other religions, in Buddhism there is no particular benefit to merely believing in a doctrine. Instead, the emphasis is on living the doctrine and walking the path. The Four Noble Truths & the Eightfold Path Ads Disclosure The Four Noble Truths & The Eightfold Path The heart of Buddhist teaching is found in the Four Noble Truths. These truths are what Siddhartha Gautama became enlightened about when he became the "buddha" or "enlightened one." These truths are shared by all the different groups, schools of thought and divisions within Buddhism. The Four Noble Truths are: 1. the truth of suffering - life involves suffering or dissatisfaction. Even the most privileged lives involve suffering or dissatisfaction of some sort. 2. the truth of desire - suffering is caused by desire, specifically unenlightened desire 3. the truth of the cessation of desire - when unenlightened desire is ceased or eliminated from life, suffering ceases as well 4.

the truth of the 8-fold path - desire is enlightened through right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, right understanding and right resolve The Four Noble Truths support the common characterization of the Buddha as a doctor or healer. He assesses the life's condition, makes a diagnosis, and provides a prescription for the cure. Life involves suffering, even for those who lead privileged lives. Bad things happen, people get sick, loved ones die, things don't go as planned, and so on. On closer inspection, the suffering we experience because of these things comes not so much from the things themselves, but from how we think about them and how we "desire" regarding them. Generally, we want them to be different from how they are, or to provide something they cannot provide. We want people to live forever - they won't. We want relationships to stay the same forever - they won't. We want our bodies to stay the way they were when we were at our best - they won't. We want everyone and everything we love to stay the same and live forever - they won't.

Our ignorant, unenlightened desire drags us into these false cravings that can never be satisfied, so we suffer. The prescription, according to the Buddha, is to cease this ignorant craving - to enlighten our desires. And the way to do this is to embark upon the eightfold path. The eightfold path comprises the essence of the Buddhist spiritual path. It includes proper skills and behaviors, proper mental states and conditions, and proper aspirations and intentions. In short, it is the complete ethical, meditative and spiritual life of Buddhism. The fact that the Four Noble Truths do not involve worshipping a deity or even revering the Buddha himself make them attractive to people from other religious traditions, as well as to people who are more secular or philosophical in their outlook. These truths and practices can be grafted onto those from other traditions fairly easily. Thus, we have people who call themselves "Zen Christians" or "JewBoos" and who practice a blend of Buddhism with Christianity or Judaism.

The Four Noble Truths - Essay The Four Noble Truths By: Edward • Essay • 853 Words • December 2, 2009 • 411 Views Page 1 of 4 Essay title: The Four Noble Truths THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS “Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you your self test and judge to be true.” -Buddha The four noble truths exemplify the essence of the teachings of Buddha. They represent the beginning of a long journey to inner peace, happiness, and most importantly an end to suffering. Seven weeks after the Buddha reached enlightenment at a place called Sarnath, in India, he gave his first teaching. This is referred to as setting the wheel of Dharma in motion. (Rahula 27). It was here where Buddha first spoke of the 4 noble truths and solidified them as eternal parts of life. The four noble truths were presented as follows.

The First Noble Truth is suffering or dukkha. This includes physical, emotional and mental forms of suffering but can also be interpreted more widely as a feeling of ‘dissatisfaction’. (Hanh 43) The Second Noble Truth points to the origin of suffering, namely craving or tanha (literally ‘thirst’). At its most simple, this relates to our constant craving for what is pleasurable in what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think. (Hanh 44) The Third Noble Truth is the extinction of suffering. It refers to Nibbana in which craving has faded completely and thereby suffering too. (Hanh 45) The Fourth Noble Truth leads to the end of suffering and provides a practical pathway to the realization of Nibbana in the form of the Noble Eightfold Path. This consists of eight factors: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. (Hanh 46) The first noble truth has to deal with the different kinds of suffering that one will come to face throughout their life. The Buddha said there are three kinds of dukkha. The first two are inevitable and the third is optional.

(Rahula 28) The first is dukkha-dukkha, or ordinary suffering. This includes what the Buddha calls the three great teachers: sickness, old age and death, and the loss of a loved one. The second is viparinama-dukkha. In life even though we are happy, we know that our happiness will not last forever. This awareness that life will not always be this way often brings us sadness, and explains why the Buddha says that even happiness is dukkha. The third is samkhara-dukkha. This is the suffering of conditioned states. The Buddha believes that the thoughts that often pass through our heads can bring us much suffering. This is the one dukkha that we have some control over. (Hanh 43) Continue for 3 more pages » • Join now to read essay The Four Noble Truths and other term papers or research documents I. Life is filled with suffering due to our desires to want things to be different. II. Self-centered craving causes the of suffering of imbalance.

325 Words | 2 Pages The Four Noble Truths Siddhartha, after meditating under the pipal tree, described enlightenment as having four noble truths: Dukkha, the noble truth of suffering; Samudaya, 300 Words | 2 Pages The Four Noble Truths The concept of the four noble truths has to do with the religion, Buddhism. Unlike other religions that try to give 327 Words | 2 Pages Q2. Outline and discuss the four noble truths: is the Buddhist view of existence optimistic or pessimistic? The question of the Buddhist view of existence 266 Words | 2 Pages Basics of Buddhism Buddhism: An Introduction Buddhism is a major global religion with a complex history and system of beliefs. The following is intended only to introduce Buddhism's history and fundamental tenets, and by no means covers the religion exhaustively. To learn more about Buddhism, please look through our Web Resources section for other in-depth, online sources of information. Siddhartha Gautama: The Buddha Historians estimate that the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, lived from 566(?) to 480(?) B.C.

The son of an Indian warrior-king, Gautama led an extravagant life through early adulthood, reveling in the privileges of his social caste. But when he bored of the indulgences of royal life, Gautama wandered into the world in search of understanding. After encountering an old man, an ill man, a corpse and an ascetic, Gautama was convinced that suffering lay at the end of all existence. He renounced his princely title and became a monk, depriving himself of worldly possessions in the hope of comprehending the truth of the world around him. The culmination of his search came while meditating beneath a tree, where he finally understood how to be free from suffering, and ultimately, to achieve salvation. Following this epiphany, Gautama was known as the Buddha, meaning the "Enlightened One." The Buddha spent the remainder of his life journeying about India, teaching others what he had come to understand. The Four Noble Truths The Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of Buddha's teachings, though they leave much left unexplained. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.

More simply put, suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an end; and it has a cause to bring about its end. The notion of suffering is not intended to convey a negative world view, but rather, a pragmatic perspective that deals with the world as it is, and attempts to rectify it. The concept of pleasure is not denied, but acknowledged as fleeting. Pursuit of pleasure can only continue what is ultimately an unquenchable thirst. The same logic belies an understanding of happiness. In the end, only aging, sickness, and death are certain and unavoidable. The Four Noble Truths are a contingency plan for dealing with the suffering humanity faces -- suffering of a physical kind, or of a mental nature. The First Truth identifies the presence of suffering. The Second Truth, on the other hand, seeks to determine the cause of suffering. In Buddhism, desire and ignorance lie at the root of suffering. By desire, Buddhists refer to craving pleasure, material goods, and immortality, all of which are wants that can never be satisfied. As a result, desiring them can only bring suffering. Ignorance, in comparison, relates to not seeing the world as it actually is.

Without the capacity for mental concentration and insight, Buddhism explains, one's mind is left undeveloped, unable to grasp the true nature of things. Vices, such as greed, envy, hatred and anger, derive from this ignorance. The Third Noble Truth, the truth of the end of suffering, has dual meaning, suggesting either the end of suffering in this life, on earth, or in the spiritual life, through achieving Nirvana. When one has achieved Nirvana, which is a transcendent state free from suffering and our worldly cycle of birth and rebirth, spiritual enlightenment has been reached. The Fourth Noble truth charts the method for attaining the end of suffering, known to Buddhists as the Noble Eightfold Path. The steps of the Noble Eightfold Path are Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. Moreover, there are three themes into which the Path is divided: good moral conduct (Understanding, Thought, Speech); meditation and mental development (Action, Livelihood, Effort), and wisdom or insight (Mindfulness and Concentration).

Karma Contrary to what is accepted in contemporary society, the Buddhist interpretation of karma does not refer to preordained fate. Karma refers to good or bad actions a person takes during her lifetime. Good actions, which involve either the absence of bad actions, or actual positive acts, such as generosity, righteousness, and meditation, bring about happiness in the long run. Bad actions, such as lying, stealing or killing, bring about unhappiness in the long run. The weight that actions carry is determined by five conditions: frequent, repetitive action; determined, intentional action; action performed without regret; action against extraordinary persons; and action toward those who have helped one in the past. Finally, there is also neutral karma, which derives from acts such as breathing, eating or sleeping. Neutral karma has no benefits or costs. The Cycle of Rebirth Karma plays out in the Buddhism cycle of rebirth. There are six separate planes into which any living being can be reborn -- three fortunate realms, and three unfortunate realms. Those with favorable, positive karma are reborn into one of the fortunate realms: the realm of demigods, the realm of gods, and the realm of men.

While the demigods and gods enjoy gratification unknown to men, they also suffer unceasing jealousy and envy. The realm of man is considered the highest realm of rebirth. Humanity lacks some of the extravagances of the demigods and gods, but is also free from their relentless conflict. Similarly, while inhabitants of the three unfortunate realms -- of animals, ghosts and hell -- suffer untold suffering, the suffering of the realm of man is far less. The realm of man also offers one other aspect lacking in the other five planes, an opportunity to achieve enlightenment, or Nirvana. Given the sheer number of living things, to be born human is to Buddhists a precious chance at spiritual bliss, a rarity that one should not forsake. Buddhist Beliefs: The Four Noble Truths - YouTube Buddhist Beliefs: The Four Noble Truths Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Oct 5, 2013 The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path are fundamental teachings in Buddhism. They are considered equally important among all the Buddhist schools and are central to the core of Buddhist beliefs. Sometimes Buddhists are criticized for always talking about suffering (because of the First Noble Truth); yet the majority of Buddhist teachers I've come across, if not all, are the most peaceful and joyous people I've ever met. So surely, there is more to Buddhism than just suffering. In this video I explain how the Buddha taught the 4 Noble Truths to show us how we can move from a state of unrest to attaining an everlasting peace and happiness, known as nirvana or nibbana. But first, like any good physician, before prescribing the medicine, the Buddha had to diagnose our problems and show us why we feel less than one hundred percent happy most of the time, and what we can do to fix this.

#Buddha Suggested Reading: An excellent article by Ajahn Brahm: Joy at last to know there is no happiness in the world Google+: Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos: Copyright notice: if you wish to reproduce the quotes in this video please be aware of the copyright notice from the accesstoinsight website. Provenance: ©1981 Buddhist Publication Society. From Three Cardinal Discourses of the Buddha (WH 17), translated from the Pali by Ñanamoli Thera (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1981). Copyright © 1981 Buddhist Publication Society. Used with permission. This Access to Insight edition is ©1993--2013. Terms of use: You may copy, reformat, reprint, republish, and redistribute this work in any medium whatsoever, provided that: (1) you only make such copies, etc.

available free of charge and, in the case of reprinting, only in quantities of no more than 50 copies; (2) you clearly indicate that any derivatives of this work (including translations) are derived from this source document; and (3) you include the full text of this license in any copies or derivatives of this work. Otherwise, all rights reserved. For additional information about this license, see the FAQ. How to cite this document (one suggested style): "Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting Rolling the Wheel of Truth" (SN 56.11), translated from the Pali by Ñanamoli Thera. Access to Insight, 14 June 2010, . Retrieved on 21 September 2013. Category Dukkha -- What the Buddha Meant by Life Is Suffering By Barbara O'Brien Updated October 04, 2016. The Buddha didn't speak English. This should be obvious, since the historical Buddha lived in India almost 26 centuries ago. Yet it's a point lost on many people who get stuck on the definitions of English words used in translations.

For example, people want to argue with the first of the Four Noble Truths , often translated as "life is suffering." That sounds so negative. But, remember, the Buddha didn't speak English, so he didn't use the English word, "suffering." What he said, according to the earliest scriptures, is that life is dukkha. "Dukkha" is Pali, a variation of Sanskrit, and it means a lot of things. For example, anything temporary is dukkha, including happiness . But some people can't get past that English word "suffering" and want to disagree with the Buddha because of it. I've noticed that some translators are chucking out "suffering" and replacing it with "dissatisfaction" or "stress." I'm a bit dissatisfied with that approach, however. Sometimes translators bump into words that have no corresponding words meaning exactly the same thing in the other language. I believe "dukkha" is one of those words. Understanding dukkha, however, is critical to understanding the Four Noble Truths . And the Four Noble Truths are the foundation of Buddhism.

Filling in the Blank Because there is no single English word that neatly and tidily contains the same range of meaning and connotation as "dukkha," I think it's better not to translate it. Otherwise, you'll waste time spinning your wheels over a word that doesn't mean what the Buddha meant. So, throw out "suffering," "stress," "dissatisfaction," or whatever other English word is standing in for it, and go back to "dukkha." Do this even if -- especially if -- you don't understand what "dukkha" means. Think of it as an algebraic "X," or a value you're trying to discover. Defining Dukkha The Buddha taught there are three main categories of dukkha. These are: Suffering or pain (dukkha-dukkha) Conditioned states (samkhara-dukkha) Let's take these one at a time. Suffering or Pain (Dukkha-dukkha). Ordinary suffering, as defined by the English word, is one form of dukkha. This includes physical, emotional and mental pain. Impermanence or Change (Viparinama-dukkha).

Anything that is not permanent, that is subject to change, is dukkha. Thus, happiness is dukkha, because it is not permanent. Great success, which fades with the passing of time, is dukkha. Even the purest state of bliss experienced in spiritual practice is dukkha. This doesn't mean that happiness, success, and bliss are bad, or that it's wrong to enjoy them. If you feel happy, then enjoy feeling happy. Just don't cling to it. Conditioned States (Samkhara-dukkha). To be conditioned is to be dependent on or affected by something else. According to the teaching of dependent origination , all phenomena are conditioned. Everything affects everything else. This is the most difficult part of the teachings on dukkha to understand, but it is critical to understanding Buddhism. What Is the Self? This takes us to the Buddha's teachings on the self. According to the doctrine of anatman (or anatta) there is no "self" in the sense of a permanent, integral, autonomous being within an individual existence. What we think of as our self, our personality, and ego, are temporary creations of the skandha s.

The skandhas , or "five aggregates," or "five heaps," are a combination of five properties or energies that make what we think of as an individual being. Theravada scholar Walpola Rahula said, "What we call a 'being', or an 'individual', or 'I', is only a convenient name or a label given to the combination of these five groups. They are all impermanent, all constantly changing. 'Whatever is impermanent is dukkha' (Yad aniccam tam dukkham). This is the true meaning of the Buddha's words: 'In brief the Five Aggregates of Attachment are dukkha.' They are not the same for two consecutive moments. Here A is not equal to A. They are in a flux of momentary arising and disappearing." (What the Buddha Taught, p. 25) Life Is Dukkha Understanding the First Noble Truth is not easy. For most of us, it takes years of dedicated practice, especially to go beyond a conceptual understanding to a realization of the teaching.

Yet people often glibly dismiss Buddhism as soon as they hear that word "suffering." That's why I think it is useful to toss out English words like "suffering" and "stressful" and go back to "dukkha." Let the meaning of dukkha unfold for you, without other words getting in the way. The historical Buddha once summarized his own teachings this way: "Both formerly and now, it is only dukkha that I describe, and the cessation of dukkha." Buddhism will be a muddle for anyone who doesn't grasp the deeper meaning of dukkha. The Four Noble Truths - Essay / Religion The Four Noble Truths This Essay The Four Noble Truths and other 61,000+ term papers, college essay examples and free essays are available now on ReviewEssays.com Autor: reviewessays • November 13, 2010 • Essay • 1,747 Words (7 Pages) • 729 Views Page 1 of 7 THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS "Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held.

Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you your self test and judge to be true." -Buddha The four noble truths exemplify the essence of the teachings of Buddha. They represent the beginning of a long journey to inner peace, happiness, and most importantly an end to suffering. Seven weeks after the Buddha reached enlightenment at a place called Sarnath, in India, he gave his first teaching. This is referred to as setting the wheel of Dharma in motion. (Rahula 27). It was here where Buddha first spoke of the 4 noble truths and solidified them as eternal parts of life. The four noble truths were presented as follows. The First Noble Truth is suffering or dukkha. This includes physical, emotional and mental forms of suffering but can also be interpreted more widely as a feeling of 'dissatisfaction'. (Hanh 43) The Second Noble Truth points to the origin of suffering, namely craving or tanha (literally 'thirst').

At its most simple, this relates to our constant craving for what is pleasurable in what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think. (Hanh 44) The Third Noble Truth is the extinction of suffering. It refers to Nibbana in which craving has faded completely and thereby suffering too. (Hanh 45) The Fourth Noble Truth leads to the end of suffering and provides a practical pathway to the realization of Nibbana in the form of the Noble Eightfold Path. This consists of eight factors: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. (Hanh 46) The first noble truth has to deal with the different kinds of suffering that one will come to face throughout their life. The Buddha said there are three kinds of dukkha. The first two are inevitable and the third is optional. (Rahula 28) The first is dukkha-dukkha, or ordinary suffering. This includes what the Buddha calls the three great teachers: sickness, old age and death, and the loss of a loved one. The second is viparinama-dukkha.

In life even though we are happy, we know that our happiness will not last forever. This awareness that life will not always be this way often brings us sadness, and explains why the Buddha says that even happiness is dukkha. The third is samkhara-dukkha. This is the suffering of conditioned states. The Buddha believes that the thoughts that often pass through our heads can bring us much suffering. This is the one dukkha that we have some control over. (Hanh 43) Although there are different degrees of suffering, there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness. But as you can see these are all things that can not last forever. So when you think about it, this means we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will also pass away one day. As far as my own personal battles go with trying to find an inner peace through faith of any kind to me Buddha made a lot of sense. The idea that people are miserable because they suffer is a blatantly obvious. I kind of think of this as smoker would with their habit.

Every day they smoke and know for a fact that they are slowly killing themselves, addiction or not they understand that what they are doing is hurting them. As people we realize to that we hurt ourselves and our friends and families with our actions and if you break down a lot of the situations that derive from suffering they go back many times to a selfish act or act committed from a personal desire. I have lived my whole life in a particular way and it would be hard for me personally to give up the feeling to desire but if I did I honestly think I could have a happier life. A greater understanding is to be found with the words of Buddha and wheather or not people follow the truths he created they should at least consider the positive effects they can have on ones life. In the Second Noble Truth, the Buddha explains the causes of the third type of suffering. Our attachment to sense pleasure is the first cause of suffering. However, the Buddha was not trying to teach about avoiding sense pleasure. Just that we should simply not be controlled by our own desires. (Rahula 22) Again, there is nothing wrong with having views and opinions. We all do. This becomes suffering for ourselves and others when we become attached.

The most unrelenting type of suffering is our attachment to self--who we think we are, how we want others to be, and how we want life to treat us. (Hanh) Some people expect life to make them happy; others expect life to make them miserable. Our emotions, and how we view the world and experience life, flow from this attachment. This is where I find myself to get close to the Buddhist faith. I would say that the majority of the suffering in which I personally experience comes from becoming attached to ideas or views and then blocking out contradicting perspectives. I would almost go as far to say that this represents a suffering of ignorance because you are not allowing yourself to be exposed to truth. The truth is what provides satisfaction and understanding. This understanding could change a lot of things in ones life if they were only to allow themselves to look at all sides of a view or opinion, instead of just siding with the part that they could benefit from the most. In the bigger picture I see this to being the key to world peace through religion. There are a lot of cultural boundaries that create boundaries that separate the universal understanding of tolerance in religion. If we were all able to put our own ...

Question: Which religion believes in the Four Noble Truths?
Answer: Buddhism